Eight Shutout Innings Help Round Rock to 5-2 Win Over El Paso 

ROUND ROCK, Texas – The Chupacabras de Round Rock (38-29) totaled eight straight shutout innings en route to a 5-2 win over the El Paso Margaritas (29-38) at Dell Diamond on Friday night. Six of the game’s seven total runs were scored in the first inning before both pitching staffs started to duel.

Round Rock starter RHP Robert Dugger (2-4, 4.79) earned a win after throwing 6.0 innings that saw two runs, six hits, two walks and five strikeouts. El Paso starter RHP Matt Waldron (1-6, 7.02) was tagged with the loss after allowing all five Chupacabras runs to score on six hits and one walk while striking out eight batters. Chupacabras RHP Edwar Colina grabbed a save with a shutout ninth inning of work.

Along the Train Tracks

• El Paso hopped on the board in the top of the first inning when 2B Tim Lopes hit a double then scored on a single from 1B Alfonso Rivas. Rivas made it a 2-0 game after CF José Azócar and LF Taylor Kohlwey
• The bottom half of the frame saw four runs for Round Rock. 3B Yoshi Tsutsugo doubled to score LF Elier Hernandez and SS Davis Wendzel, who had reached on a single and hit-by-pitch, respectively. DH Blaine Crim scored as CF Jonathan Ornelas grounded out before Tsutsugo came home on a single from 2B Dio Arias.
• Chupacabras 3B Yoshi Tsutsugo made it a 5-2 game with a solo home run in the sixth inning.

E-Train Excerpts:

• Chupacabras LF Elier Hernandez finished Friday’s contest 2-for-4 and extended his active hitting streak to 20 games. Twenty straight hits are tied for the third-longest hitting streak in franchise history as INF Jack Mayfield reached 20 from July 14 to August 9 during the 2019 season. Hernandez’ streak currently sits as the longest of the season in the Pacific Coast League.
• 3B Yoshi Tsutsugo launched a home run for the third straight game on Friday night in the sixth inning. Tsutsugo is the first Round Rock batter to homer in three consecutive games this season and first since OF J.P. Martinez went yard July 29-July 31, 2022 against Sacramento.
• El Paso outhit Round Rock 10-6 on the night, marking the 33^rd time this season that Round Rock has tallied less hits than its opponent. The Chupacabras are now 10-23 when being outhit by opponents.

Next up: Round Rock and El Paso will square off for game five at Dell Diamond at 6:05 p.m. CT on Saturday night. Chupacabras LHP Triston Polley (1-0, 6.00) is scheduled to start up against Margaritas RHP Angel Sanchez (0-1, 5.51).

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